


QMS 7

by Deacon_Heller



Series: Quantum Mirror Series [7]
Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26935789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deacon_Heller/pseuds/Deacon_Heller
Summary: There is little time to mourn the loss of Jefferson before SG10 is sent on their next mission. The mission to extract a Tok'ra spy from Pelops' base start off well, but quickly spirals out of control. Critically injured on a mission both Ward and the Tok'ra spy's lives hang in the balance. Ford must choose which life to save.
Series: Quantum Mirror Series [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965412





	QMS 7

The memorial service for Lance Corporal Jefferson was brief. His coffin was draped with the American flag and sent back through the gate on a flatbed probe vehicle. Ford more than anyone else was eager for it to end. He watched the flag slowly disappear into the gate, and waited for the service to end so he could feel like a failure alone.

The West facing wall on the East temple complex had been re-faced by placing a plaque bearing Jefferson's name on it. It was a memorial wall now. Ford tried not to look at it. He knew there were going to be more names on the wall. He knew, and he wouldn't want to look at those either. 

Nine days passed as SG 10 waited for their next mission. MALPs came and went with nothing worth exploring. Colt and Natock became restless, and Ford didn't blame them. Ten stayed busy buy exercising and running live fire drills in a distant ruined city set aside for training.

It wasn't long before General Willis ordered Ford to choose a replacement for Jefferson. Ford looked over forty three personnel files but found replacing the first man he'd ever lost difficult. He wouldn't be able to put it off any longer, though, two hours after the ceremony Ford was called into Willis's office. 

"Sergeant," Willis acknowledged Ford as he walked into the general's office nine days later. Another Marine stood at attention when Ford came in. "This is Lance Corporal Washington. He's been assigned to your team."

Ford scowled at the young African American Marine, but said nothing. Ford made no attempts to fill the open spot on his squad. It was too soon, but he wouldn't argue with the general. Ford acknowledged the order. "Sir."

Ford signaled Washington out into the hall. He slowly turned to follow his new squad member.

"I understand the difficulty of this Sergeant, but I need your team at full capacity," Willis said.

"Sir," Ford acknowledged, and left the room.

Ford led Ten, with its new addition, across the gate plaza over to one of the square open air temples for their daily team workout. It was little more than a roof sitting on columns which made it perfect for an off world gymnasium. They walked up the steps into the temple, and Colt stopped. 

He was looking across the gym at the squat rack where he saw her. Lieutenant Charlie Miller, the only female SEAL on active duty, and the most muscular woman on the Alpha Base. The rest of Ten turned to see what Colt was looking at. They all stopped and starred at how much weight she was lifting. 

"I think she can out squat me," Colt said.

"I think she can out squat all of us," Ford said.

"Is that normal for a Tau'ri woman?" Natock asked.

"Not even a little," Ward said.

"Go talk to her. We could all use a laugh right now," Madison said, as he shoved Colt forward. 

Colt stopped and glared at Madison. They all waved him on as Natock and Washington simply watched with bemused interest. Finally, Colt walked across the busy open air gym to where Charlie was squatting. He crept up behind her, and began talking to her when she racked the bar.

"Yeah, so, Hi. I'm Colt. I was just, kind of curious if you'd maybe, like to uh, go out on like a date or something," Colt stuttered out. The rest of Ten stood twenty feet behind him laughing. She turned around and looked at Colt. She took the ear-buds out of her ears. Colt could hear metal music playing quietly.

"Did you say something?" She asked. 

"Yeah, uh, I was wondering if...you were using that plate," Colt said as he dropped down and picked up a five pound plate.

"No, go ahead," She said, giving him an odd look before walking away. 

"Very smooth," Madison said, when Colt walked back to them.

"She's helpless against your charms," Ward said.

"Was your attempt not to display your prowess as a mate?" Natock asked. 

"It was," Ford laughed

"Why did you not pick up a larger plate?" Natock pointed at Colt's hand.

Colt looked down at the five pound plate in his hand. "God damn it!"

"Don't worry, you're still in the lead, mostly because every other guy here is afraid to get in the race," Ford said. Washington stood beside Ford smirking. 

Later that day General Willis stood in front of the gate and watched the vortex recede. Colt walked up beside him with a wide grin on his face. Technicians emerged from the gate carrying equipment from the SGC. Willis looked over at Colt. Colt looked back at him with a giddy grin. 

"Why are you here?" Willis asked him.

"The robot Carters are coming."

"And?"

"It's five Carters. It's like looking into the faces of five angels. Five badass angels that can swing a laser gun, blow up a Ha'tak, solve invariant subspace problems, beat the hell out of Jaffa, quote Pi to the thousandth decimal place, kill a sun, and do it all while reading Howl out loud." 

"Who, exactly cleared you for off-world duty." 

"Here they come!" Colt blurted out.

The android copies of Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson created on P3X-989, a world SG1 found years earlier, emerged through the gate. Carter and Jackson were finally convinced to allow themselves to be copied once again so that their expertise could be utilized in multiple places. There were a three working out of the SGC in Cheyenne Mountain, and five on each of the off world forward base, as well as some of the more sensitive off world projects. Any place with alien technology that needed to be reverse engineered, assimilated, and implemented into human technology got its own Carter. The copies of Dr. Jackson were used to decipher the mountains of text from the myriad sources the Tau'ri have encountered since the program began. 

The Samantha Carters walked through the gate and gathered in front of General Willis as did the robot versions of Dr. Jackson. Technicians continued to carry equipment through open gate. They eventually carried through fifty one long hard plastic weapon crates. There were other, smaller square plastic cases as well. Colt noticed it while he was watching the Carters come through. He recognized it as a weapon shipment, but before he could give it much thought another Carter emerged from the gate, and the question evaporated from his mind. 

General Willis spoke with all of the androids, giving them a brief explanation of where they would be staying and what they would be doing. When he was finished his aid led them all away. Willis took a step to walk away, and then looked back at Colt.

"Tell me again what function you perform," Willis said to Colt. 

"I ...science...stuff...and things," Colt said, looking away.

"Go find something to... science."

"Yes, Sir," Colt quickly turned around and walked away. 

"How has Sergeant Ford not shot him in the ass yet?" Willis mumbled, to himself as the gate closed.

The following day General Willis began the daily briefing for the SG teams himself. "I'm sure some of you have seen the android versions of Dr. Carter and Dr. Jackson around the base by now. They are to be given all the respect and authority that their human counterparts have already earned. There are five of each, two of which will be stationed permanently on the base in order to do research while the other three will rotate to different teams based on the mission needs," Willis began. 

"I think I need a Carter, Sir," Colt said from the table his team sat at. 

"Shut up, Colt," Ford growled.

"Son, you need much more than the Carters can provide," Willis answered. Several people in the room laughed at the truth of it. "Along with ten android geniuses, we have received a new shipment of weapons, and these are so nice I had to show them to you myself." 

Willis was cut off for a moment by the cheers of the SG teams. 

"You're going to love this," Willis drew a modified M 4 rifle from a crate beside the table in front of him. He held it up for everyone to see. "This is a modified version of what you're all carrying right now. They call it the M 4.5. It looks like an M 4 and takes magazines just like an M 4, with the addition of a scaled down version of the Ma'Tok staff weapon." 

Willis was once again cut off by cheers. 

"It is operated by a second fire selector. The first fire selector is in the exact same spot, utilizing the standard NO BANG, BANG, BANG BANG BANG. The second fire selector is labeled BANG, SWOOSH . It seems the boys back home wanted to make these Marine friendly," Willis stopped when the laughs from the Navy and Army teams began, the harsh language quickly followed for a few seconds before Willis continued. 

"It's a simple slider just behind the fire selector, up is Bang and down is Swoosh. When the indicator is flipped to Swoosh," Willis flipped pulled the switch down with his thumb. Four symmetrical ends opened with the same golden flash-hiss of a Ma'Tok. "This beautiful bastard will fire at a semi-auto rate and deliver the same charge as a full size staff weapon."

Once again there were cheers.

"Our rifle has one distinct advantage that the Goa'uld have never utilized, optics. We will continue to have the range and accuracy they lack."

"Oh my God! Laser Machine Gun!" Colt blurted out to more laughs. "This is the best day ever!"

"Santa has more for all his bad boys, and his favorite bad girl," Willis smiled, looking at Lieutenant Miller, the only woman on the teams. He picked up another, larger rifle that looked similar to a 50 caliber rifle, but with a muzzle that matched the staff weapon in configuration and size. "They compacted the staff cannon into a long range rifle. It has virtually unlimited firing capacity because it works on the same liquid Naquadah power cell. This beast of a scope will give you a range up to three miles, with day light and infrared capabilities."

"What else does Santa have?" One of the team members asked. 

"I'm glad you asked," Willis drew out a matte silver ball the size of a baseball with a long flat switch on the top. "This is a modified Jaffa stun grenade. It's not as powerful as the bigger one that they use, but you can carry these in your grenade pouches. It has a full stun radius of fifteen meters, and a partial stun of twenty five."

"What does partial stun do?" Ford asked.

"According to the specs we've been given, it will leave them alive but unconscious for maybe five minutes. Full stun will put a Jaffa down for at least half an hour," Willis answered. "The last thing in Santa's sack is a new garage door opener." 

"What was wrong with the one we're using now?" Someone asked.

"It isn't this one," Willis answered. He took one out of the crate and held it up. "It's a little thicker than the other one, but you're not going to mind the extra weight when you see it do this..."

Willis pressed the large red orb shaped button on the end. A Goa'uld personal shield lit up around him. "This is the GDO MK II, and not only does it give you a shield but it also gives you remote access to Goa'uld technology such as the rings." 

"Ah ha aah ha aaaaaaaaahhhhh! FORCE FIELD!" Colt blurted out ahead of a room full of cheers. "They used my design!"

"Yes Colt, they used your design," General Willis, acknowledged with a sigh. "It's powered by a piece of Naquadah about the size of a pebble," Willis said just before turning it off. "All of you will be issued the 4.5, the grenades, and the new GDO's. The long range rifles will be issued based on mission parameters, but you're all going to start training on these tomorrow."

"Force fields!" Colt sputtered with glee as he grabbed Madison by the shoulder and shook him. The room erupted into cheers once more. "You're welcome. You're all welcome," Colt grinned, looking around the room at everyone.

Willis gave them a moment, then he tossed the new GDO to the person in the front row just across from him. Then he silenced them for the last time. "There is one more thing."

"Light saber, light saber, light saber oh god. Please let it be a light saber!" Colt said, out loud.

Willis looked at Ford. Instead of telling Colt to shut up Ford just held up both hands, his fingers were crossed.

"Sorry, no. We don't have light sabers, and I wouldn't let Colt have one even if we did," Willis said, with a faint smile. 

"That hurts my feeling, Sir," Colt said. "I only have the one, and you just hurt it."

"This is Felicia Gray. She is going to be stationed on the base here as a representative of the IOA. I'll let her explain," Willis said as Gray stood up from the chair she waited in. 

"Hello. I can't say how thrilled I am to be here. This is such an amazing opportunity," Gray gave off an eccentric energy with her smile. She was petite, with distinctly elfin beauty. She wore a bright red flower print dress. "The International Oversight Advisory is the civilian oversight of all Stargate activity. From the SCG to all the forward bases, there are now representatives of the IOA."

"What caused this?" Ford asked. "Civilian oversight, I mean." 

"Events on Earth transpired that resulted in Russia becoming aware of the stargate. This eventually lead to several other countries becoming aware of the gate as well. After a great deal of negotiation, it was decided that the Stargate Program would need civilian oversight by a board of people that represent all the countries on Earth that know about the gate."

She stopped for a second to flash them a nervous and toothy smile. "Right. So, from now on I'll be sitting in on all the mission briefings and debriefings." 

"That's it? Just observing?" One of the team leaders asked.

"I may have suggestions from time to time, but yes," Gray said. 

Ten was called into the small briefing room beside the general's office later that day for their next assignment. When they arrived Colt noticed a tense look on Michaels face. Beside him stood General Willis and Ms. Gray. Ten sat down at the table and Michael handed them the folders with the mission details before he began to explain the mission. "This is the next armory on our list. Like some of the other armories, this one is in Thoth's territory."

"Excuse me, I know that I'm new to all of this, but don't you find that unnecessarily risky?" Gray asked, interrupting Michael. 

"At first glance, maybe, but there is a Tok'ra agent in this armory. He's our way in and out. I've been communicating with him covertly and we have finalized all the details for the raid," Michael explained. 

"Excuse me, but I never authorized that mission," Gray said. Her expression changed from pleasantly oblivious to hawk like and feral.

"I was not aware that your approval was necessary," Michael said, looking from her to Willis.

"From this point forward all missions require my approval, and to be honest I'm not sure that I approve of this one," Gray said. 

"What is it that you don't approve of?" Ford asked.

"Where do I begin? How well do we know this supposed, Tok'ra agent?" 

"He's been doing his job for seventy three years. How long have you been doing yours?" Michael asked. 

Colt followed right behind Ford as they left the briefing room. When they were a few yards down the hall he spoke quietly. "Was it just me, or was that painful?" 

"It looks like the IOA is going to be questioning everything we do," Ford said.

"More like she was trying to find reasons for us not to do anything," Colt said. 

"That is also the impression that I received," Natock said. 

"And it looked like she was giving you the stink eye," Colt said to Natock. "Is she here to oversee or to intervene?" 

"Someone has an agenda, and it looks like it's not the security of Earth," Ford said. "We're cleared for this mission. We'll deal with this when we get back." 

Ten returned to their quarters and changed into their stolen Jaffa armor. All of the teams had their own set of Jaffa armor for undercover missions. Natock was dressed first, he'd been wearing the armor for years, and he stood waiting for the rest of the team. Once each man was finished he would use a special marker to draw the Goa'uld symbol on their foreheads.

"Hold still, Colt," Natock growled, as he drew the symbol of Thoth on his forehead. "If this is not correct you will end the mission before it begins."

"Let the man work," Ford said, to Colt as he walked past him adjusting the chest armor on his own Jaffa uniform. 

Colt was the last to get the forehead markings before they walked down to the gate. Michael was standing by the gate waiting for Ten. Beside Michael stood Felicia Gray. He thin elfin features seemed pleasant from a distance, but as Colt got closer he saw that she was hiding something. She flashed a fake smile and approached Ford.

"I have some last minute adjustments to the details of your mission," Gray informed Ford. 

"Yes?" Ford replied. 

She listed seven changes to the mission. Colt watched in disbelief as Gray completely altered the parameters of the mission. He was even more surprised when Ford agreed to the entire set of changes without so much as one question.

"I have to say that you are taking this much better than I expected," Gray said, to Ford before she walked away.

"I can't believe we're changing the mission at the last minute like this," Colt said, to Ford.

Ford shook his head. "Nothing changes."

SG 10 exited the gate into darkness. It was past midnight on this world, and the moon already dipped below the horizon.

"Woooooooo!" Colt whispered, and he quickly stepped down from the gate, his staff weapon over his shoulder.

"Michael, take point," Ford whispered. They followed Michael through the dark forest for thirty five minutes until they reach a ring platform at the center of several converging paths. Ford tapped the red button on his forearm gauntlet and rings sprang up around them. The dark night around them was instantly replaced with the dimly lit cargo bay of a Ha'tak. A short and thickly muscled Jaffa greeted them. The ring room was empty except for Michaels Tok'ra contact.

Michael spoke to the Jaffa warrior in Goa'uld. The warrior turned and led them from the ring room into the corridor. Ten followed behind Michael in silence as he spoke to his contact. They made small talk when they passed Jaffa patrols, but Ten said nothing. When the corridor was empty Colt watched the Jaffa warrior slip Michael a crystal from the inside of his left gauntlet. Michael took it smoothly and slipped it into a pocket inside his chest armor. 

Then the Jaffa warrior turned and went left as Michael led Ten right at a junction. A few Jaffa glanced at Natock's forehead symbol, but it was not uncommon for warriors of a defeated Goa'uld to be assimilated by the army that conquered them. Michael led them through the Ha'tak to the armory. The door was guarded by two warriors but they said nothing as Michael led Ten past them. Ten stopped just inside the door while Michael approached the arms master and drew the crystal from inside his armor. He presented it to the scowling Jaffa without a word.

"This is more than half the inventory in the armory," He growled, at Michael.

"It is what our Lord Thoth commands," Michael said, without hesitation.

"Why do you need so many weapons?"

"Do you question Lord Thoth's orders?" Michael snarled back.

"I was merely curious," He said as he removed the crystal from the computer and handed it back to Michael. 

"I understand," Michael replied, easing the tension in his voice. "Lord Thoth has divined the location of a large Tau'ri force and we shall slaughter them in his name."

"Good. Kill them to the last man. Do you have enough warriors?" The arms master asked as he opened the door to the weapons locker.

"Yes. We have warriors waiting on a planet nearby. We just need to get them the weapons they require," Michael said as he looked at the bronze weapon storage containers. "What we will need is help moving these weapons to the Tel'tak in the hanger."

Half an hour later Ten was working to load the stacked crates into a Tel'tak. Michael was speaking to the Jaffa warrior that met them at the gate. Colt and Natock were carrying a crate of staff weapons into the ship when a yellow plasma blast zipped past Michaels face and splashed on the hull of the ship. Two more blasts quickly followed the first. Michael ducked a shot that was meant for his head, but his contact was not so quick. A blast caught him in the shoulder and splashed over his neck. 

Ford quickly dropped down and flipped open a crate. He took out a staff and began to return fire. He saw that the arms master was backed by twelve other Jaffa. They inched closer as they kept firing. Michael dropped and rolled beside the ship, drawing his Zat gun and returning fire. Colt and Natock emerged a second later with staff weapons firing on the Jaffa. 

"Betrayers! Liars!" The arms master screamed a third insult in Goa'uld at Michael over the sound of staff fire. "Who do you serve?"

Michael said nothing as he reached for the wounded Tok'ra spy. He grabbed his arm and began dragging him back towards the ship. Colt carefully moved forward and grabbed his other hand to help Michael drag the man into the Tel'tak. The Ha'tak's alarms began to ring out in the hanger. Washington immediately dropped to one knee beside the Tel'tak and began returning fire with his staff.

"Fall back!" Ford shouted. Natock ducked into the door of the ship and took the controls. Colt helped Michael drag the wounded Tok'ra through the door into the ship, and then left him to tend the man. Colt popped back out of the doorway to continue laying down cover fire. Ford sprang up and quickly, backing toward the door as he continued firing. 

Ford backed past Ward just as a staff blast him in the chest. Ford glanced sideways just in time to see two more blasts strike Ward's torso before he dropped. An instant rage overcame everything else in Ford's mind, he stepped sideways to grab Ward's wrist. Ford struggled to keep firing and pull his teammate at the same time. 

The arms master was still shouting at them, but Ford didn't hear anything but the staff blasts until the engines of the Tel'tak ignited and hot air washed over him. More Jaffa began flooding through the main entrance of the hanger, stepping over their own dead without even glancing at them. Ford pulled, but Ward's body barely moved. The wounded Marine weighed twice as much in the Jaffa armor. He blinked sweat from his eyes, feeling utterly exposed, wishing he was stronger so he could pull Ward into the ship before he was cut down in the growing crossfire. 

There were too many Jaffa to count. It was only a matter of time before, Ford's thought was interrupted when a staff blast grazed his left arm. He lost his grip on Ward and fell onto his right side. He kept blasting as he struggled to his knees. He tried to reach for Ward again but the pain in his arm left it useless.

A strong hand grabbed Ford by the collar of his armor and jerked him to his feet. Ford kept firing as he was pulled back toward the ship. He glanced at Ward and saw Michael standing over Colt firing, as Colt pulled Ward into the ship. Ford stumbled and almost fell as he was pushed through the door into the ship. 

Michael helped Colt pull Ward into the ship as Washington continued to pick off advancing Jaffa. Once Colt was through the door Washington sprang up, and ducked into the ship, shutting the door behind him. The ship lurched upward and hurtled towards the open hanger doors, which were inexplicably still open, but had begun to slowly close. Natock opened the throttle on the Tel'tak to make it out before they closed. 

He pushed the ship dangerously fast in such a small space, but he was a skilled pilot with many years of experience. It was that same experience that kept them all alive when the left corner of the Tel'tak clipped the hanger door and sent the ship into an uncontrolled spin. Natock was barely able to bring the it back under control before the Ha'tak began firing on them.

After righting the ship, dodging fire was simple. Natock quickly hurled the ship into hyperspace before the Ha'tak could advance towards them. Once they were away and safe, Natock spun his chair around and sprang from his seat. He examined the Tok'ra spy first. 

"He will not live," Natock told Michael.

"No, the host will not," Michael agreed. 

Natock got up and looked at Ward. Colt and Ford had pulled his armor off and they were trying to stop the bleeding. Ward's sternum was exposed and charred from the blasts. His muscles were also burned away. 

"He's not going to survive if we don't get him to a doctor," Ford grunted. 

"The nearest world with a gate is hours away," Michael said. 

"He won't live that long," Colt told Ford as they bandaged Ward.

"There is something we can do," Michael offered. 

"I am not putting one of those...things in him," Ford snapped, as he stood up and pointed at the unconscious Tok'ra.

"It may save them both," Natock added. "At the very least it can keep Ward alive until we can get him help."

"I said NO! Why do you even wear this God Damn armor?" Ford roared at Natock as he tore off his flexible chest plate. "It doesn't stop anything!"

He threw it across the bay at the bulkhead of the ship, and then pulled open his chainmail shirt.

"I am not going to turn him into one of them. I can't make that decision for him. Chris," Ford said, as he knelt down beside Ward. "Chris, wake up. WAKE UP!"

"He's not going to wake up and give you his informed consent," Colt said. "You need to make this call." 

"We'll get him to a gate and a doctor," Ford insisted, standing up.

Washington and Colt stared at Ford, but he said no more. Natock slowly walked back to the pilot seat and dropped into it. Michael sat down on the floor beside his contact and tried to stop the bleeding on his neck. No one said anything for the next few hours until Natock brought the ship out of hyper space.

"That is the world with the gate," He said, pointing to one of the two planets on the screen, highlighted with the notations made by the navigation computer.

"That's a Ha'tak," Michael said, standing behind Natock.

"Cloak the ship," Ford quickly instructed. "Did they see us?"

"They are not making any movement towards us," Natock replied. 

"Take us down to that world," Ford said.

"I'm detecting large forces on the ground around the gate," Natock said. He glanced sideways at Ford, unsure how he would take the news. Colt came up behind Ford and looked at the screen. 

"There's no way we can fight past all those Jaffa carrying two critically wounded men," Colt said. 

"We have to try," Ford snapped, as he stood up and glared at Colt. Washington said nothing, but he watched intently. "I am not losing anymore men."

"You land this ship down there and you lose all your men," Colt snapped. "Make the call Ford."

Ford stomped over to Colt. Everyone expected Ford to hit him, even Colt, but he never moved. Ford struggled with his own emotions, but his rage finally melted away.

"Do it," He said, quietly. Ford walked over and sat down on a crate of staff weapons staring at the wall.

Michael coaxed the symbiote out of the dying spy and slipped it into Wards mouth. Ford couldn't bring himself to watch, and Colt wished that he hadn't. Washington snarled in disgust. The Tok'ra host that had known Michaels symbiote for more than five decades died almost instantly. Colt knelt beside Michael, over Wards unconscious body. 

"How long until we know if it works?" Colt asked in a low tone. 

"It might not work at all. The symbiote may be too exhausted to do much for Ward," Michael replied. "If we had done this four hours ago I would be more confident, but it looks like we're going to lose them both now." 

"Shit," Colt whispered. 

"Yeah," Michael agreed.


End file.
